The Shang Wildmage
Lord Wyldon of Cavall observed the child seated in front of him, thinking, Another one! Two, in less than a week apart…
The child sat elegantly, waiting.
The "second" the royal training master had referred to was a female trying to become a knight. Keladry of Mindelan had been the first; and now, no more than a week after the Mindelan girl had started, another one was here.
"What is your name?" Wyldon asked, keeping his voice neutral. The girl drew back her hood.
"They call me Kriti, my lord." The training master nodded slightly. At least she knew how to address her superior. He turned his attention to the man sitting next to the girl.
"I am honored to have you here, Tiger." For that was the man's title; he was none other than the Shang Tiger, one of the highest ranks before going immortal. He smiled briefly, and said, "I suppose she will be put on probation?"
Wyldon frowned and turned back to the girl – Kriti. Now that her hood was back, he could see her properly. She had soft brown hair, drawn back in an elegant bun. She had high cheekbones, giving her a look of superiority. Her eyes were a striking green, which twinkled with knowledge and pride. Her chin was stubborn, her lips full. A beauty she was; a beauty that cried out vulnerability. She sat gracefully, and upright; it was a grace that could be taken as lady like. But there was a subtle hint of readiness in her stature. Her head was held high, and her eyes were alert, despite their relaxed state. She wore a near skin-tight blue shirt that allowed mobility, and gray breeches that could conceal daggers – which Wyldon didn't doubt; the girl was Shang trained. Wyldon sighed, and asked to speak with the Tiger alone. The Shang warrior nodded, and told Kriti to wait outside, in the hall. When the Tiger turned back, the training master spoke.
"I don't know, Tiger." Wyldon said wearily. "She looks…Well, she looks vulnerable. And it certainly doesn't look as if she could hold a lance."
The Tiger merely smiled forlornly. "Oh, she can hold a lance all right." He said softly. "She can hold it well. She can hold it as she's riding full speed toward a quintain, standing in the stirrups. And the sword is like it was welded to her arm. And as a Shang fighter…" he paused and smiled slightly. "She could have held the title of the Shang Dragon."
Lord Wyldon whistled softly.
"That good, is she? Then why didn't she continue her training?"
The Tiger hesitated a moment, then shrugged.
"She wanted to come to Corus and be a knight."
Wyldon nodded. "Very well. And I take it you are her father?"
"Oh no, I'm her…" the Tiger paused a moment. "Guardian."
"All right then," Wyldon said, thinking. "I will have a sponsor selected for her today; you are welcome to stay at the palace, of course."
The Shang shook his head. "No, but thank you. I don't like staying in one place for too long." Wyldon smiled. "Very well. I will have the servants see you off. Farewell." He stood and shook the Tiger's hand, and the two walked into the hall where Kriti waited, unmoving.
"Well, my dear," the Tiger said, crouching down to be on eye level with the ten year-old-girl. "This will be good-bye for a while. You're sure you don't want to stay with me and continue training?"
Kriti smiled sadly. "I'm sure, sir. I want to be a knight; I need to be a knight." A short silence followed her words.
"Very well." The Tiger sighed, and stood. Wyldon placed a hand on her back, and started to turn her to the page's wing. The girl looked over her shoulder.
"Good-bye," she called. "And thank you." The Tiger merely grinned at her, and then left. Kriti turned back forward, head held high. She would complete the year of probation without mishap. There was no one alive she couldn't deal with.
Lord Wyldon of Cavall observed the child seated in front of him, thinking, Another one! Two, in less than a week apart…
The child sat elegantly, waiting.
The "second" the royal training master had referred to was a female trying to become a knight. Keladry of Mindelan had been the first; and now, no more than a week after the Mindelan girl had started, another one was here.
"What is your name?" Wyldon asked, keeping his voice neutral. The girl drew back her hood.
"They call me Kriti, my lord." The training master nodded slightly. At least she knew how to address her superior. He turned his attention to the man sitting next to the girl.
"I am honored to have you here, Tiger." For that was the man's title; he was none other than the Shang Tiger, one of the highest ranks before going immortal. He smiled briefly, and said, "I suppose she will be put on probation?"
Wyldon frowned and turned back to the girl – Kriti. Now that her hood was back, he could see her properly. She had soft brown hair, drawn back in an elegant bun. She had high cheekbones, giving her a look of superiority. Her eyes were a striking green, which twinkled with knowledge and pride. Her chin was stubborn, her lips full. A beauty she was; a beauty that cried out vulnerability. She sat gracefully, and upright; it was a grace that could be taken as lady like. But there was a subtle hint of readiness in her stature. Her head was held high, and her eyes were alert, despite their relaxed state. She wore a near skin-tight blue shirt that allowed mobility, and gray breeches that could conceal daggers – which Wyldon didn't doubt; the girl was Shang trained. Wyldon sighed, and asked to speak with the Tiger alone. The Shang warrior nodded, and told Kriti to wait outside, in the hall. When the Tiger turned back, the training master spoke.
"I don't know, Tiger." Wyldon said wearily. "She looks…Well, she looks vulnerable. And it certainly doesn't look as if she could hold a lance."
The Tiger merely smiled forlornly. "Oh, she can hold a lance all right." He said softly. "She can hold it well. She can hold it as she's riding full speed toward a quintain, standing in the stirrups. And the sword is like it was welded to her arm. And as a Shang fighter…" he paused and smiled slightly. "She could have held the title of the Shang Dragon."
Lord Wyldon whistled softly.
"That good, is she? Then why didn't she continue her training?"
The Tiger hesitated a moment, then shrugged.
"She wanted to come to Corus and be a knight."
Wyldon nodded. "Very well. And I take it you are her father?"
"Oh no, I'm her…" the Tiger paused a moment. "Guardian."
"All right then," Wyldon said, thinking. "I will have a sponsor selected for her today; you are welcome to stay at the palace, of course."
The Shang shook his head. "No, but thank you. I don't like staying in one place for too long." Wyldon smiled. "Very well. I will have the servants see you off. Farewell." He stood and shook the Tiger's hand, and the two walked into the hall where Kriti waited, unmoving.
"Well, my dear," the Tiger said, crouching down to be on eye level with the ten year-old-girl. "This will be good-bye for a while. You're sure you don't want to stay with me and continue training?"
Kriti smiled sadly. "I'm sure, sir. I want to be a knight; I need to be a knight." A short silence followed her words.
"Very well." The Tiger sighed, and stood. Wyldon placed a hand on her back, and started to turn her to the page's wing. The girl looked over her shoulder.
"Good-bye," she called. "And thank you." The Tiger merely grinned at her, and then left. Kriti turned back forward, head held high. She would complete the year of probation without mishap. There was no one alive she couldn't deal with.
